Now that we are recovered from and over the thrill of the Doggie Domain construction earlier this year, I have decided the pups needed a second indulgence.  For 15 years, I’ve been entering and leaving my pool via a ladder really intended for a hot tub, which makes the first step a doozie and upper arm strength a must. Until Morrie arrived, I’ve never thought much about what would happen if one of the dogs fell in the pool.  Although they all hate the water, probably because it is their super-sized doggy water dish and they even resent me immersing myself in it, I nonetheless have pulled them all into the pool enough times to know that when it is full, they can make it to the side and crawl out.  The problem is that sometimes it is half full, because Pasiano empties it half way three mornings a week to allow hot water to flow in from the mineral springs in the afternoon.  In this way, the water is always hot and I use the drained water to water the grass and trees.

At any rate, I’ve always been worried about what would happen if Morrie fell in while it was half full and no one was around.  Although he’s never fallen in when I’m present, I’ve been told that he did fall in twice while I was at the beach and Pasiano had to jump in to save him.  I’ve concocted all sorts of safety measures such as a very long extension ladder placed diagonally from the bottom of the pool to poolside or very large pots submerged upside down in the pool, but these are stopgap measures at best and I keep imagining their being removed when I’m not around.

Even more worried than I am is okcforgottenman who has railed and fumed about this, the result being that Chino and Mateo and another worker arrived today to build steps.  Not the makeshift steps that I’d envisioned, but the state-of-the-art, curved tiled steps that will cost about 4 times what I envisioned they would cost but which will be beautiful, functional  and durable.  And, I get to watch them work again, because like the Doggie Domain, the pool is right in front of the sliding glass doors directly in front of my desk. Someone has actually already asked to be let in on the action, so here are the first few shots of their activities. At one point I could hear both workers talking on their cell phones.  One was down in the dry pool laying bricks and the other one was walking up carrying a full two-arms load of bricks with his cellphone pushed up against his ear with his shoulder, talking on it!  You can see him in the third-to-the-last photo, stirring concrete and still talking on the phone!  Ha. They are good workers, just adept at double-tasking. Click on that second to the last photo to catch him in the act! There are also captions if you click on the first photo and view the gallery.

Mateo gets instruction from his dad Chino, above, and moral support from the three dogs.

I leave to go grocery shopping, but Diego remains to inspect that all goes well in the pool repair..

Chino being the maestro. Mateo forming the arc for pool steps.

What’s the pencil for?

Aha.. for the planning of the steps.

Setting the support rod.

Circles within circles.

Double-tasking.

Two hands for the job again.

First row of bricks in.

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